As the first wave of Rivian R1S customer deliveries is expected this summer, video reviews of the much anticipated electric SUV have started to surface online.
These videos come courtesy of two popular tech vloggers, iJustine and Jenna Ezarik, who happen to be sisters. They were among the first people in the world to drive the R1S, obviously excluding some Rivian employees who already got their R1S vehicles delivered.
The Ezarik sisters reviewed the same vehicle, a Launch Edition R1S painted El Cap Granite featuring the quad-motor powertrain and Large battery pack. The SUV also came with the seven-seat layout.
Speaking of the seating arrangement, the practicality of the R1S is probably what impressed these reviewers the most. They took their parents from Los Angeles on a trip to Yosemite National Park in the Rivian, taking full advantage of the vehicle's massive cargo area when the third-row seats are folded. They also discovered that when you need the third row, there's plenty of space there for adult passengers; more than expected, actually.
No storage space was left untested, including the roomy frunk, the compartment hidden underneath the trunk floor, and the many storage places scattered around the cabin. Suffice to say the R1S proved more than enough for four adults who didn't pack light—quite the contrary.
The videos also showcase most of the Rivian R1S SUV's cool features, such as the adjustable ride eight, two-piece rear hatch, panoramic glass roof, as well as gimmicks like the air compressor, detachable speaker, and flashlight integrated into the driver's door.
Since these reviewers are tech vloggers, their videos dedicate a fair amount of attention to the Rivian's camera system and its applications, the functionality of the digital gauge cluster and central touchscreen, the various ways to lock and unlock the vehicle, and so on.
Unfortunately, there's not much talk about actual EV stuff in these videos, although Justine does say they had no problem finding charging stations and charging along the way. The navigation system shows charging options on your route as well as realistic range estimates and charging times, helping keep range anxiety to a minimum for those first-time EV buyers.
We would have liked to see some critical observations as well from these YouTube influencers, but it looks like the Rivian R1S totally won them over. At this point, it's also worth noting that both have pending preorders for the electric SUV.
